Patterson's new powers

For years, The Patterson School's boys basketball team barely registered a blip on the Caldwell County radar, much less the national stage.

Not anymore.

The recent defection of coach Chris Chaney and one of his players from The Laurinburg Institute to Patterson has changed everything, and the Bulldogs are widely considered the preseason No. 1 prep school team in the country.

Not only does Patterson have one of the most successful young coaches in the country, it's got some of the most highly sought-after talent.

”Chris has developed a network among college coaches who consider him to be a good mentor for prospects,“ said national basketball recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons. Gibbons went on to say that Patterson's roster was among the best in the country.

Chaney said his relationship with first-year headmaster Colin Stevens was the reason for the move from Laurinburg to Patterson. Chaney and Stevens worked together at Newport School in Maryland.

”Patterson is one of those schools that has the potential to be somewhere for a lifetime,“ Chaney said. ”It seems like a great town to live in. It's very peaceful, and there's lots of potential for the school.“

With Chaney comes a slew of top-level college basketball recruits who will bring Caldwell County to the front of the basketball recruiting world.

Patterson has two teams filled with players that are being chased by either college teams, or perhaps even the NBA.

Gibbons, a Lenoir resident, said locals may be surprised at some of the people sitting down next to them at the local restaurants and eateries.

”The week before last, Lute Olson (Arizona's coach) is there with his top assistant and they wanted to eat barbecue, so I took them to Hannah's,“ Gibbons said. ”A lot of people were stopping by and asking coach Olson, ‘Are you Lute Olson? May I get your autograph?'.

”The next day, I got a call from the Charlotte airport, and the entire Kansas staff - (head coach) Bill Self and his two top assistants - were coming to see (a Patterson player).“

That trip ended with a visit to Ruby Tuesday in Lenoir.

The headliner for the Bulldogs is 6-7 wing or forward Davon Jefferson, of Lynwood Calif. Jefferson has strong perimeter skills and is considering either Oklahoma State or Kansas. Gibbons says Jefferson has the kind of skills that may take him to the NBA after this season.

The Patterson School also sports 6-10 power forward Jordan Hill, an Arizona commitment, and 7-1 center Toni Soda, a Croatia native that has signed with Nebraska. Kenyan Harmon, a 6-7 wing forward, will play at Charlotte, and Roburt Sallie, who will attend Washington, is also on the roster.

The Patterson talent will be on display Oct. 12 in a scrimmage. The Patterson School Prep team will face 2004 and 2005 national champion Oak Hill Academyat Hibriten High School.

Oak Hill has been associated with Caldwell County twice in recent years.

In Dec. 2002, Oak Hill played a scrimmage at South Caldwell, and the Warriors faced West Caldwell a season ago in Boone. Both were convincing wins for the visitors.

Oak Hill is once again one of the major players in elite-level prep basketball.

Tywon Lawson, already committed to Roy Williams and the University of North Carolina, leads the charge. Jeff Allen, a 6-8 Virginia Tech commitment, is in the post with 7-0 center Albert Jackson, who will attend Georgia. Landon Milbourne, who will attend Maryland.

There will be two scrimmages at Hibriten High School. In the opener, The Patterson School high school team will face Charis Prep from Goldsboro.

Charis Prep features 6-8 wing forward Darrius Sellers from Smyrna, Ga. Sellers could be a major Division I signee by season's end.

Advance tickets to the scrimmage are available at Parkway Bank in Lenoir and Hudson, American Trade and Loan, Younce Insurance Agency and Gibbon Electric Co. Beginning Oct. 12 at 4 p.m., tickets will be sold at the entrance to Hibriten High School.

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